Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah issued a royal decree appointing Al-Qassabi in his new post at the rank of minister, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.
Al-Qassabi, who gained his Ph.D. in engineering management with distinction from Missouri University in 1985, was adviser at the office of the late Crown Prince Sultan and director general of the Prince Sultan Charitable Foundation.
His past positions also included secretary-general of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry from 1998 to 2002 and member of the advisory committee for economic affairs at the Supreme Economic Council.
He was also member of the Hail Development Authority and member of the board of directors of the Saudi Council of Engineers.
He worked for charitable organizations in various capacities, such as chairman of the board of trustees and financial supervisor of the Prince Salman Center for Disability Research, member of the board of directors of the Charity Foundation for Orphan Care, and member of the Saudi National Committee for the Elderly.
He was also noted as an excellent academic while serving as assistant professor at the industrial engineering faculty at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah.
